Apocalypse Healer - Path of Death

David looked outside again, taking in how much the world had changed. How much he had changed.

Though he wasn't physically exhausted anymore, and his mind was steady—barring the strain of digesting [Holy Touch]'s information—David gave no thought to rest. His eyes flicked to a spot near the shopping center.

David's expression darkened His hands drifted to his weapons, clutching them tightly.

Repay kindness with kindness and betrayal with—...He took a deep breath, keeping his emotions under control.

Let's see what they're up to first.

***

"Sebastian is dead!" Flora cried, tears streaming down her cheeks. "We left him to die!"

Jack's eyes lingered on the window of the building they'd just entered. It must have been someone's cozy home before everything went downhill, but now it was empty.

A low groan from an Infected reached Jack's ears. He spun around and grabbed Flora, clamping a hand over her mouth. The tears pouring down her face intensified. Snot smeared against his palm, but the slimy sensation was the least of his problems. Even as she struggled for breath, Jack didn't budge.

"You need to stay silent, or we'll get caught!" he hissed quietly.

Their escape had been far from easy. When they'd reached the emergency staircase, it hadn't been empty. Three Infected loomed over the corpse of a middle-aged man, blocking their path to safety. The creatures weren't particularly strong, but without a Warrior—or someone who could cleanse infections—dealing with them was no small task.

Five arrows wasted, Jack thought bitterly, glancing at Flora. Useless.

He liked her, but she was far from helpful. If anything, she made things harder. Flora couldn't keep her voice low, bawling and sobbing uncontrollably, which attracted more Infected. That might have been tolerable if she could still use [Mana Bullet], but her Mana Core must have been completely drained. Even if she had enough energy for her Skill Rune, her lack of focus rendered her useless.

Jack had been forced to take on the role of protector. He fought off Infected despite having only a bow and a handful of arrows left, all while dragging Flora behind him.

Ensuring their survival hadn't been easy, and finding a somewhat safe place took far longer than it should have.

"There's no time to grieve!" Jack whispered in Flora's ear. "And we didn't leave Sebastian to die. He was gone the moment he hit the ground. As for David... we don't know him. He was a troublemaker. Nobody will miss him."

Flora's eyes widened. Her lips parted, but no words escaped. Instead, she shuddered, and fear filled her eyes as she looked at Jack.

A flicker of movement in the corner of Jack's vision pulled his attention back to the windows. Three Infected swayed past the entrance. They snarled and shuffled like mindless puppets, unaware of the two survivors hiding inside.

Jack remained perfectly still, his eyes fixed on the glass. Minutes passed. He expected the Infected to return, but the snarls eventually faded into the distance.

Jack sighed in relief. Flora, however, started crying again. He shot her a withering glare, certain his expression would be intimidating enough to silence her, but she didn't seem to notice.

"It's already too late. You saw it yourself—Sebastian is dead," he said, his tone colder than before. "Check your stuff. We need to figure out how much we have and how long we can—"

A shadow flashed past the window, cutting Jack off mid-sentence. Even Flora seemed to notice, her body tensing.

A shriek escaped her lips as the house's front door burst open. Splinters flew in all directions as the door crashed loudly to the floor.

Jack reacted instantly. He grabbed his bow, pulled an arrow from his quiver, and nocked it. He didn't draw the string back fully, unable to maintain a steady stance, but the weapon was ready to fire.

Jack froze, the arrow trembling on the string.

A familiar figure stepped inside—a man who wasn't supposed to be alive.

They hadn't known each other long, but Jack recognized him. A few things had changed. His body was covered in scars, marks of battles he'd survived alone, and his cold gaze felt like frozen glaciers bearing down on him.

"D-David?"

***

David looked at the trembling children. They didn't make it far without him – without Sebastian. It looked like they'd struggled, but it was not like he felt sorry for them – not after they left him to fend for himself… to die for them.

David walked down the hallway, his eyes locked onto the pair. They stared back, paralyzed.

"You fucking left me to die…you could have at least tried to help rather than running away like cowards…" He snarled, making Flora flinch. She looked at the ground.

At last, Jack moved as well. The glimmer in his eyes gave him away. He pulled his bowstring to full draw and released the arrow without hesitation.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

David twisted his body. The projectile whistled past his head, missing by a heartbeat.

"Seriously?!" David asked in an icy tone, "And now I show up alive, and you want to shoot me dead? I fucking considered forgiving both of you… but now this?"

His gaze narrowed as Jack prepared another arrow.

And now you're nocking another arrow? David knitted his brows, watching Jack. He was not sure what to do earlier, but these cowards deserved a punishment. It might even help them…Maybe they would grow stronger – faster – if they hated him. He smiled at that thought. Making them hate him shouldn't be too difficult. All they needed was a little push.

David darted to the side, entering a small room with an open doorway leading to the kitchen.

"Oh, this place is nice. All the rooms are connected," he commented, feeling a sense of amusement rising within him.

"Fuck you!" Jack bellowed. "Leave!"

"You want me to leave?" David stepped into the kitchen, his smile sharp. Jack stood stiff in the living room, bow raised. David took a step back into another room, disappearing before Jack could fire again.

He entered a small storage area connected to yet another room. The layout intrigued him.

"Why would you want me to leave? Aren't we friends?" David called out. "No, maybe we're not friends. Survivors in arms, then? No... that's a thing of the past too. What are we now? Acquaintances? Strangers? Enemies?"

David heard Jack's hurried footsteps and muffled curses.

"Why are you doing this? I am glad you survived, but you know better than anyone that we would have lost this fight. Even if you survived, the Kobolds would have killed Flora and me. Flora's Mana Core was drained after what happened to Sebastian—"

David barely gave it a thought before he responded.

"You're funny. I'll give you that much. Why am I doing this? … I was curious how you guys were doing, knowing deep down that everyone could have survived the last fight. You are good at bullshitting your way out of troublesome situations, aren't you?" His voice echoed through the entire building. That was eerie, even to David. Was he overdoing it? Doubts surfaced.

The wooden flooring creaked as David stepped into the living room. He caught a glimpse of Jack, who turned to him. Jack would have to shoot through Flora to hit him. While Jack seemed to have improved as an archer, David was certain he wasn't confident enough to hit him without killing Flora.

"W-we couldn't do anything. Sebastian was…he was dead before anyone reacted," Flora spoke up for the first time, though hesitation crept into her voice. "Or…could you have saved him? H-how did you survive?"

David didn't answer. He stepped back and moved around the building again. The floor creaked once more, but the sound was farther away this time. David hadn't made it, and it seemed too far off to have been Jack or Flora. A doubt crept into David's mind, intensifying as the sound of an arrow whizzing through the air echoed. It struck something with a dull thud, followed by silence.

That's odd, David thought, quickening his pace.

He heard Flora gasp and the sound of something—or someone—hitting the ground. Jack cursed.

At last, David returned to the living room and saw it: a rotten face, gray skin stretched taut over sickly yellow veins and chunks of missing flesh. It was an Infected stepping inside.

Jack lay on the ground, wide-eyed, his trembling hands fumbling for an arrow. He reached for his quiver but was too slow. The Infected, small and hunched, moved with alarming speed.

The rotten face flashed before the Hunter, who winced as the Infected's maw opened wide.

That was David's signal to move. He looked at Jack, whose face was about to be torn off, and sprang into action. His hand glowed pristine white as he struck, piercing the Infected's skull in one clean blow. The undead's head burst apart, coating Jack in rotted flesh, skin, and brain matter.

Jack froze, the color draining from his face, and retched before vomiting. He squealed and screamed until David, unable to take it any longer, silenced him with a kick to the stomach.

"You're a funny little hypocrite. Didn't you tell Flora to stay silent? So why are you screaming like a three-year-old? Get your fucking act together, asshole," David snarled, wiping brain matter and sweat from his forehead as a flicker caught his attention.

[You have defeated Infected (Uncommon).]

[Proficiency of Holy Touch increased.]

A surge of energy filled David's body, catching him off guard as another notification appeared.

[Your Rank increased by one.]

[Iron III → Iron IV]

[One Attribute Point has been added.]

Jack said nothing, retreating until his back hit the edge of the couch. As he tried to rise, groaning in pain, the remaining arrows in his quiver spilled to the ground.

David shook his head at Jack's pitiful display. His initial plan seemed to have failed. . Regardless, the rank-up surprised him; he hadn't thought fighting could trigger such progress. Until now, only healing and cleansing had done so.

The revelation improved David's mood. He considered continuing his lecture and teaching Jack and Flora what could happen if they were to betray someone ever again, but the warmth and vigor coursing through him were too pleasant to ignore.

"I think I wasted my time here." David glanced at the headless Infected, then at his glowing hand. "Or maybe not."He shrugged and turned to the traitors. "I won't dirty my hands with your deaths, BUT…"

David unsheathed the kobold shortsword and stepped toward Jack, whose face turned as white as paper. Jack's expression worsened, and tears welled in his eyes.

"Please…don't kill me…"

Definitely too much.

David rolled his eyes, "I won't kill you."He cleared his throat, "But that doesn't mean others will be as tolerable."

He sighed deeply. He felt like a fool for behaving like this – like a child. He was better than that, or so he thought."Get out of my sight," he snapped.

David heard Flora whimper faintly as Jack scrambled to his feet. The Hunter bolted past him, too afraid to look back. But he still had his backpack slung across his shoulders. David's shortsword swept past Jack's head, forcing the teenager to stop abruptly.

"Don't forget your bow and arrows…" David pointed at the spilled arrows on the ground, turning to Flora, whose lips parted, "Don't say anything, or I might change my mind and keep the bow, and take your backpacks as well."

He watched the boy collect everything in a hurry.

Whether they survived or not was not David'snot business. It was cruel, but he was not going to run behind them. They had chosen to leave him earlier, so they were the ones who hadto live with the consequences of their actions—or succumb to them.